The Philippines military plans to hold more joint naval drills with its allies in the South China Sea and beyond as it expects heightened Chinese coerciveness in the disputed waters, a navy spokesman said on Tuesday. Philippine forces plan to expand naval exercises beyond traditional allies to strengthen deterrence as Manila faces growing Chinese assertiveness and may also stage similar drills beyond the South China Sea, said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad, navy spokesman on the South China Sea. “There will be an increase in our multilateral participants… [and] there will be an increase in our multilateral engagements and exercises,” he told a media briefing.

Basilio, K. C. L., & Halili, A. H. (2026, January 7). Philippines eyes more joint drills in South China Sea and beyond. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.